Manuel Ruiz, the man charged with murdering a couple on the Las Vegas Strip, could be facing the death penalty. Ruiz is a YouTuber known as “Sin City MannyWise.” No guns were found at the scene, which Ruiz fled after the shooting, according to police.
Manuel Ruiz Facing Death Penalty
Ruiz appeared for an arraignment after he was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder for the killings of a couple. According to a prosecutor, the case is going to the death row committee, meaning that the option to pursue the death penalty in the event of a conviction at trial will be considered by the Clark County District Attorney’s Office.
Gunshots rang out at about 10:40 PM local time outside the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on the 3600 block of Las Vegas Boulevard. The tragedy inflicted instant panic on the community, and crowds scattered for safety as gunfire rang out. Officers who were already in the area quickly rushed to where gunshots rang out. Unfortunately, both Finelys died at the scene, despite officers providing medical aid. The victims were identified as Rodney Finely, 44, and his wife, Tanisha Finely, 43.
In addition, a live stream from Rodney’s YouTube channel, “Finny Da Legend,” appeared to show Ruiz shooting the Finley couple last month outside the Bellagio fountains. According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, Manuel Ruiz had an ongoing social media dispute with the Finleys. They had gone back and forth hurling insults at one another according to other content creators. Ruiz said to detectives that he “was adamant that he shot in self-defense,” in the arrest report.
In addition, Ruiz made his self-defense claim after he turned himself in to Henderson Police. Detectives refuted that claim, showing the video to Manuel Ruiz, which they noted “clearly showed Manny advancing towards Finny while shooting.” When he walked out of the courtroom, Ruiz whispered to reporters, “I’m innocent.” The Death Penalty Review Committee is seeking to meet on July 29 to discuss the case.
Final Thoughts
Manuel Ruiz remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on August 8. 8 News recently examined how crime rates compare across Las Vegas to those of last year. The examinations found that, according to recent statistics, some major crimes were headed in a better direction. However, those same statistics showed that police were making fewer arrests than they had in past years. In other news, many exciting projects for the Marvel Cinematic Universe are soon to be released, and Netflix has announced a new drama about the K-pop industry.
